By Michael Oche
A new training manual to be used during Pre-Departure Orientation Seminars (PDOS), for intending Nigerian migrants and migrant workers have been validated.
The manual is a collaborative work between the International Labour Organisation (ILO) under its FairWay project and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment (FMLE).
Ms. Vanessa Phala, Director, ILO Abuja Country office while speaking at a One-Day Workshop for the Validation of the Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar Training Manual and Gender Mainstreaming Strategy, emphasized the importance of adequately preparing, and equipping intending migrant workers for life and living in destination countries, using Pre-Departure Orientation Seminars (PDOS).
According to her, opportunities for employment beyond borders, coupled with evolving dynamics of global labour markets, propels sustained relevance and discourse of the effectiveness of labour migration, including through enhancing availability and operationalization of accompanying frameworks and mechanisms for a well governed process.
She said, “At the international level, the importance of the subject matter, as well as the need for effectively safeguarding the rights of migrant workers across migratory corridors and cycle is crystalized in international agendas, as reflected in both the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.
“In this context, adequately preparing, and equipping intending migrant workers for life and living in destination countries, using Pre-Departure Orientation Seminars (PDOS) is one of many methods through which information and assistance can be provided.
“As availability and access to reliable information is deemed to be among measures through which vulnerabilities associated with migrant workers can be addressed, such seminars are designed for intending migrant workers to familiarize themselves with potential situations of labour and human rights violations, including indicators of forced labour and how to avoid same.
Ms Phala also appealed to the Federal Government to expedit action on the approval of the revised National Policy on Labour Migration which was validated in July 2021.
She further called for the speedy ratification of ILO Conventions 143 and 181, seeing that these Conventions provide promise for protecting Nigerian migrant workers and their families across the migration cycle.
In her words, “I would also utilize this golden opportunity to draw the attention of the Permanent Secretary to deploy her good offices in expediting all relevant next steps required for a formal approval of the revised National Policy on Labour Migration which was validated with support from the ILO within the framework of the FAIRWAY programme over a year ago, including finalizing these resources being validated here today in view of a formal launch which the ILO again stands committed to support.”
The ILO boss also expressed delight following the collaborative work between her Organisation and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment (FMLE) to develop a training manual to be used during Pre-Departure Orientation Seminars (PDOS), as well as a Gender Mainstreaming Strategy (GMS) for the International Labour Migration Division (ILMD) of the Ministry.
In her address, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Ms Kachollom Daju, said that the Federal Government is determined to facilitate fair and orderly labour migration so as to better protect all migrant workers and enable them contribute fully to sustainable development both in their countries of origin and destination.
She stated that as part of the implementation of the National Policy on Labour Migration (NPLM), 2014, the Ministry has established three Migrant Resource Centers in Abuja, Lagos and Edo states to promote regular labour migration flow, provide accurate and up-to-date information, assist labour migrants make informed decisions about their employment offers and countries of destination while providing referral services and reintegration services for return migrants.
Daju commended the efforts of the International Labour Organization (ILO) in collaborating with the Ministry to develop a Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar (PDOS) training manual and Gender Mainstreaming Strategy (GMS) for the International Labour Division of the Ministry to strengthen capacity and complement gender related initiatives and programs within the framework of the FAIRWAY Global project.
The FAIRWAY Project is an Inter-Regional development cooperation project aimed at improving conditions of labour migration across migration pathways from Africa to Arab states.
